


Twice as Motherly

by NaeSpark



Series: The Sweet Scent of Rosemary [16]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-02
Updated: 2013-01-02
Packaged: 2017-11-23 09:43:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/620743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaeSpark/pseuds/NaeSpark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When exploring a dream bubble, Rose and Kanaya encounter something a little bit more unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twice as Motherly

**Author's Note:**

> naesnark.tumblr.com

  They heard her before they saw her.

  At first it was nothing but a muffled sound echoing in the halls of the laboratory, confusing them. They had expected to be alone.

  Cautious, wary steps lead them forward, corridor after corridor, as the sound became clearer under the form of a desperate cry. And then, a sudden silence.

  Kanaya eyed her partner, suddenly concerned.

  They began to run, drawing chainsaw and thorns out, awaiting an enemy that never came. Instead, they noticed a pile of electronic material moving, panels shifting underneath wires and metal. The troll heard the other clench her teeth and aim her needles.

  So they waited more.

  As if by a joke, nothing happened. They did not relax.

  Kanaya and Rose had seen enough to know that dropping their guard was suicide, especially in a place such as the one they were - an abandoned lab inside a dream bubble.

  Then they heard it.

  “Aghnaaa”

  “What in God’s name...” Rose muttered, as a small infant with golden hair and a dazzling toothless smile crawled out of the pile and made its wobbling way to Kanaya’s legs, wrapping her tiny arms around them and headbutting her knees gently.

  “I believe it is a human grub... I mean, baby.” The alternian said, with a confused look.

  “Guuh?” The child tilted her head. Deep white eyes were set upon Kanaya’s and she found herself returning the smile in a motherly manner.

  She picked the child up, much to Rose’s disbelief, cradling her in her arms and humming softly. “I did not expect human young to be this adorable.” The child nuzzled her neck, before resting her head in her shoulder and closing her eyes.

  Rose sighed deeply. “Please, do not be as cliche as to ask me if we can keep her.”

  Kanaya turned around to face her, a silent plea in her eyes. Rose facepalmed amusingly and chuckled softly “Very well. But I must warn you, that is my mother.”

  The troll nearly dropped the baby, eyes wide. “Pardon?”

  The Seer made her way to her lover, petting the child’s head with the inelegance of someone who is not used to being around small children. “I’m afraid so, this is Roxy Lalonde, my dearest ectobiological mother.” She sighed deeply, raising a shy eyebrow.

  Rose was uncomfortable - it was patent in the way she looked at the baby in front of her, even though her eyes displayed deep confused affection.

  Kanaya had no words to reply to her, nuzzling her forehead gently, understanding. “Shall we take her in?”

  Rose nodded. “I don’t think we can, it is a dream bubble and she is a ghost. She has to stay.”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Do you want to hold her?”

  Rose winced. “Do you want me to drop her? Because that would be the most likely scenario.”

  “Nonsense.” Kanaya chuckled, gently shifting the baby to the other arm and holding it towards Rose. The troll’s other hand held Rose’s, guiding her into holding the snoozing Roxy with both arms, and carefully settling one of Rose’s hands underneath for support. “See?”

  “I have never held a child in my entire life, Kanaya.”

  “You are doing it wonderfully.”

  It was true. The child fit Rose’s arms perfectly, the tip of her little nose cold against the girl’s warm cheek. “She’s freezing...” She whispered. “For how long has she been wondering here, all by herself?” and there she would stay. She felt a cold shiver down her spine.

  The troll shrugged. “Come.”

  Holding Roxy in her arms, Rose walked with Kanaya towards the corner of the room, sitting down. The baby was about to fall asleep, nudging Rose’s shoulder gently and clasping and unclasping her hands on her hoodie, hiding her eyes in the crook of her neck.

  Rose noticed Kanaya smiling kindly, almost motherly, and couldn’t help but smile back. Perhaps it was part of the jade-blood, it was in her genes to protect the hatchlings, to take care of the young. She leaned sideways to rest her head in Kanaya’s shoulder.

  “So we must wait here until we wake up?” she asked.

  “In theory.” The Seer felt a lump in her throat but thoroughly ignored it, raising an eyebrow “We should make the most of our time.”

  Kanaya bit her lower lip amusingly and headbutted her lover gently. “Not in front of the baby.”

  “Why must you be so mean to me?” She replied, with false frustration. “You abandon me here, with a child in my arms, when I need you so.”

  Blushing, Kanaya laughed. “We have plenty of time.”

  Rose came closer, brushing her lips on the other’s earlobe and whispering. “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw...”

  “ROSE” The troll nearly jumped and stormed out in embarrassment. The sudden reminder of the sleeping Roxy in her lover’s arms prevented her from acting further.

  The human snickered loudly, doing her best to keep Roxy cradled as Kanaya struggled to keep her composure, flushing a bright shade of jade green.

  Roxy stirred in her arms, bringing her hand to cup Rose’s cheek. Rose stopped abruptly, her eyes widening.

  She was at loss. Holding a child? It was preposterous. The thought scared her. And, more than anything, having loved her from the moment she saw her scared her. Motherhood - was that what they called it? - scared her.

  Kanaya was the motherly one, she would know what to do. Rose did not.

  Blinking, she realised she was terrified of hurting Roxy by accident.

  She delivered Roxy into Kanaya’s arms and got up, pacing the floor. She was not ready for that. She was definitely not ready for that. She’d seen parenting mistakes. She’d seen good parenting being mistaken for passive-aggressive advances - she had mistaken them herself.

  There was only one logical outcome for that situation. She would unwillingly hurt her and Roxy would hate her forever. She choked on the thought and clenched her teeth, but Kanaya had already noticed it.

  “You love her.”

  Rose blinked. “I don’t see why in the name of the everloving Greater Gods I would ever love a child I have never seen in my entire life, said child being my ectobiological mother with whom I have way too many issues to even bother mentioning them in a common conversation.”

  The rainbow drinker chuckled softly. “Rose, it is so very rare to see you as flustered as you are right now.” she kissed the toddler’s head “I don’t think this is a common conversation, however.”

  “We are discussing the love you seem to imply I feel towards that child.” Rose huffed softly.

  “Rose.”

  “We are giving this child love and then we will leave her here alone for the rest of eternity. What kind of people are we?”

  She looked up to her lover, who had got up and walked surely to her. Biting her lip, Rose took the toddler Kanaya held out for her and rested her nose in her forehead, nuzzling it. “Fine. I may feel a tiny bit of motherly affection towards her.” The troll simply rolled her eyes. “ _Fine._ Maybe a little bit more than a tiny bit.” She smiled softly. “She is rather beautiful, isn’t she?”

  Kanaya crossed her arms with a small grin “Genetics can be wonderful.”

  Giving in, the Seer gently cradled the baby in her arms, humming softly.

  “In what kind of cursed alternate timeline would a baby even die like this...”

  A small sigh escaped the child’s lips, a warm breath hitting Rose’s neck. Rose lowered her head, looking at her, and smiled painfully. “We’ve been here all night, sweetheart... we’ll be leaving anytime soon.”

  As if responding, the baby gripped Rose’s hood tighter, groaning softly.

  Kanaya’s eyebrows twitched. “Darling, are you all right? You are shaking...”

  “It’s nothing.” she held Roxy closer and stroke her back gently.

  “Rose, she is a ghost, she will be all right.”

  “She should be alive...” she raised her head to face Kanaya.

  “Rose...”

  “She shouldn’t have died. She should have been a kid and play with other kids and be loved and have a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, or whatever she’d like, but she’s dead and trapped in a dream bubble and I can’t do anything about it except apologise for things that a) aren’t even my fault b) didn’t even happen to this version of her!”

  The troll reached for her as she shook and choked in her own thoughts and tears, wrapping her arms around them both.

  “I’m so fucking done with this game.” She added, looking at the alternian’s eyes. “Who am I going to lose next? Are you going to die too? Am I going to have to fall asleep every day just to see you?” Kanaya shuddered “Will I have to drown myself in alcohol just to see your face and hold you in my arms for as long as possible? Honestly, fuck eating and sleeping, what hopes do we have if we can’t even have a proper family, Kanaya? You. Me. Roxy.”

  “In practical terms, we are not dead yet, even though, technically, we are dead.”

  Rose replied with a grieving cackle. “Sometimes I just don’t think there’s any hope left for us.”

  “I never thought I’d hear you admit that.”

  “You’re the only person I’d admit it to.”

  “Then that means you are not alone, darling. And, if you’re not alone, you’re one step closer to a happy ending.” She took hold of Roxy. “Even this little one, who is not alive, greeted you with a smile. Even if we can’t do anything for her, she will always be a child. And she will always be happy to see us.” She rasperried her arm, causing her to release an adorable baby giggle. “This is a dream bubble. We can always return.”

  “Sometimes I’m just not sure if I’ll ever be able to return to anything at all. And it kills me inside, because I don’t even know how to express it.”

  Kanaya brushed her nose on her lover’s cheek. “Then maybe we can find out how to let it out, together.”

  “Even if I look like a sobbing mess with tears of mascara running down my face?”

  “Especially then.”

  “I’m going to miss her.” She whispered, removing some golden hair from the child’s closed eyes.

  “She will miss you too.”

  After a moment of silence, Rose scooted closer to her lover. “Kanaya”

  “Yes?”

  “You would be a wonderful mother... if you are responsible for the rebirth of your entire race... may I...”

  “Hm?”

  “May I be beside you the whole time?”

  “Oh.”

  “As family.”

  “Yes. Yes, you may.”

  And thus another waking day started at the meteor.


End file.
